Has anyone studied Safeguarding?

[Anonymouse007]

Hello Mumsnet,

I have 3 kids (aged 1 to 5). I graduated with a psychology undergrad in 2019 (got a 2:2). I took a year out to look after the kids and now I'm thinking about my future.

Currently, my partner works and I'm at home. He's encouraging me to return to academia because I love it and I want to 'prep' for when I can work in the future (maybe another 2-3 years?).

I'm considering a Master's degree in Safeguarding Adults & Children. My other option is Forensic Psychology MSc.
The Safeguarding course is mostly online and would fit around my personal life. The Forensic degree is outside my city.

My main question is, has anyone studied Safeguarding? Should I just go for it? The modules are really interesting and I think I could eventually train as a social worker.

Doing Forensic Psychology would mean I could register as a Chartered Psychologist in the future (and all the fancy frills and trims that come with being chartered) but the degree is less safeguarding and more science-y.

Any advice from you wise women? It's going to cost me 7k so I want it to be worth it!

SHORT VERSION:
Want to prep for future. Should I study MSc Safeguarding or Forensic Psychology? Looking for experiences of safeguarding & its prospects.

Thank you :)

There really aren’t any frills associated with being a chartered psychologist except being able to put CPsychol. after your name.

There are a good range of safeguarding roles but they will want practical experience as well as an academic qualification e.g. in training, investigations, policy writing etc. How about shadowing someone in a dedicated safegauding role to see if you'd enjoy it?

Doing the msc in forensic psychology wouldn't in itself enable you to be chartered with the BPS. You would have to train further if you actually wanted to go on to qualify as a HCPC registered forensic psychologist and be able to have chartered status. Also as pp stated, there are no frills (?!) with being a chartered psychologist (I am one). You pay a BPS membership and get letters after your name is basically the long and short of it.

Unless you are really passionate about forensic psychology, maybe the safeguarding path is your better bet.

Yes agree with PPs. To actually work as a forensic psychologist you would have to get your clinical psychology doctorate which takes a lot of preparation and ability to get on the v competitive courses. I’m not sure what that masters would help with really.

If you want to study Safeguarding with the potential to study social work, you’d be as well going straight for that.
Although it would require you to need to be available for placements Etc.
There are also some fast track programmes in social work which give you a reasonable bursary to study (no debt) to make it more accessible (as long as you have a previous degree).

Apply for a Social Work Masters. Not only Is Safeguarding part and parcel of it, it is directly vocational if that's your ultimate aim.

Thank you for the messages so far! All helpful, but I think I didn't explain my thoughts properly (sorry) so let me try again:

@DorisDances I have shadowed/worked in schools for about 2 years. Due to having young children close together, I've found it difficult to work full-time and want to wait until the youngest is in school before I commit to work. I am hoping that in a year I'll have some freedom to get more work experience! :)

@SarahBellam @jannika Sorry, frills wasn't the best word, I just meant it's a "straight" career path. Get the masters, embark on the (undoubtedly difficult) training, etc. Whereas safeguarding is more 'general'. Also @jannika, could you kindly share your experience as a forensic psychologist? I genuinely am interested in that career (for the past 2 years at least) but only recently I have been considering safeguarding.

@BudgieHammockBananaSmuggler The main reason I wanted a Master's is to 'prove' my capabilities as many schemes (@Milkshake54 you touched on this too) require a 2:1 or a 2:2 WITH further education. My 2:2 does somewhat change my opportunities, although I am confident I can get to where I want to be :)

Safeguarding pros: online degree, 100% interesting to me.
ForenPsychology pros: start to train towards being a chartered psychologist, a 'stable' career path.

@toconclude The reason I didn't apply for Social Work degrees was because it requires being physically present, attending placements, work experience, etc. :)

MSc Safeguarding is all online and requires minimum physical work to pass the course. Currently, I would be unable to go out much as my children are young & my partner works 9 to 5 at a fairly rigid job.

You want to prep for the future but what career do you actually want to do after the masters?

@Haffdonga I've not fully decided the exact career because I do get a bit anxious about it all and start doubting myself... but I'm aiming for a role that combines 'psychology' with 'working with vulnerable children'.

I was considering social work simply because it seems like the easy answer (and I genuinely would be happy - I think - in that sort of role) but part of my thinks I should stick to 'proper' psychology and be a chartered psychologist. I did a short course on criminology which is what got me into forensic psych in the first place.

I'm 24 btw, if that helps at all.

I don't know if this helps at all but one thing that makes me think twice is whether safeguarding is a 'good enough' postgraduate degree. For example, it's not necessary to have a degree in safeguarding in order to work in safeguarding roles. In that sense, wouldn't forensic psychology be a 'better' degree because it is a requirement for a particular pathway?

I don't know if I'm making much sense (it's been a draining day!) but basically I wonder if Safeguarding is worth the money and time? 7k and this particular degree would take me 2 years (part time).

But then I think I don't have much choice because I have to plan it all around my very young children...

You don't have to do the clinical psychology doctorate to be a forensic psychologist, but it is extremely competitive to get on the equivalent training and I'm afraid a 2.2 probably wouldn't be enough either: nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/forensic-psychologist

I'd say a social work masters might fit best if you're interested in working with children and you like safeguarding. Or there are new routes into psychology being proposed and trialled, such as the clinical associate psychologist. I don't know much about it though. You'll also struggle to get onto the clinical psychology course with a 2.2 degree, unless you do a masters or something first. And it's insanely competitive too.

So to be a forensic psychologist that would be a masters and then 2 more years . The safeguarding masters would be good if you want to work with vulnerable people , but experience would help aswell. It jsut depends what you want to do really.

Cross posted with your last post. I would think about which job interests you most and then try to talk to someone in that career to see how best to build your chances of progressing while you are limited by having young kids. Something like the EMHP programme might be of interest but it's full time - the future maybe though.

@Misty9 The unfortunate truth is that 2:2 alone is very limiting, hence why I want to use the next 2 years wisely and am considering the MSc.

Thanks to everyone contributing :)

I've worked in various safeguarding/public protection type roles and honestly a degree and experience are what you need to get decent safeguarding roles, any lower level practitioner roles that don't require much on the job experience come with in house training and/or sponsored study/sponsored professional qualifications, a master's in safeguarding will largely be a waste of money unless it's something you want to study just for the academia.

@KarlKennedysDurianFruit Ah, thank you for your input! This is exactly what worries me. The majority of safeguarding roles seem to provide training without the need for an extra degree.
Do you have any recommendations of what I should do if I wanted to be a suitable candidate for a safeguarding-related role? If you don't mind me asking, do you work with vulnerable children or adults? Thank you so much for contributing.

Without sounding mean, have you checked course criteria for the Masters courses you’re interested in? It’s 20 years since I took mine, but unless things have changed you couldn’t get on an MA or MSc course without at least a 2:1. You might need to look at a more vocational path to a new career.

I'm a social worker. The safeguarding course you are describing sounds an awful lot like a post qualifying course for social workers to do as part of their continuing professional development rather than a standalone course that will lead on to anything.

Have you checked the entry criteria for it?

I can't see what use it would be to anyone other than someone already working in the field and wanting to study it further academically.

@AdoptAdaptImprove I have secured offers for both courses (forensic psychology and safeguarding) with my 2:2 but I had to write an extensive personal statement detailing why I would be suitable regardless of the 2:2. I do have a few years of work experience and personal projects I have done when I was only 18-19 that may have supported my case :) For many courses and many universities, however, a 2:1 is the minimum requirement, no questions asked.

@hatgirl yes I’ve been studying the course content extensively to make sure I make a good decision. I spoke to the tutor who told me that most of the students on the course are already working with vulnerable children or adults in some way (e.g. nursing, charity orgs, etc.). My main reasons for considering safeguarding were:

1. I need an online degree that will work around my kids. I can’t do a ‘campus’ degree for at least a year or two but I want to utilise this year at home too.

1. I guess I’m not 100% sure about committing another 4-5 years minimum to becoming a chartered psychologist.

@Anonymouse007 let me give you a glimpse of real social work. 60-80 hour weeks are not uncommon. Imagine going into work with your to do list, only two of your 30 cases have been flagged as requiring your attention immediately. Plus you're due in court this afternoon and you have not even begun that statement for court you need to pass to legal in 3 days.

Constant stress about deadlines, the kind that keeps you awake or makes you cry. It's not just paperwork, this is children's safety and lives.

I'm in management now, in a city where we don't have anywhere near enough staff and the staff we have are just about coping. Some are off with stress, some probably should be off. It's a great job when you have good outcomes, but it's truly gruelling as a career.

If you wanted to be an SW id say do a postgraduate in SW rather than safguarding. Otherwise you would have to do two MA. Although this might be you little slice of heaven

The SFG course sounds pointless in that it doesn't actually qualify you to do anything... just gives you another degree. The psychology course sounds like its the beginning of a long path of studying to become qualified... and you would need to consider whether further training after the degree is manageable. I have an MSc in Social Work for example and a 2:1 BA and i know for me I have pushed myself to my limits academia wise and would not be able to do a doctorate etc. I am a SW now and I absolutely love it... but as a pp said it is a gruelling career and you need to have a real passion for it. Have you considered waiting a while for kids to be older so that more options are open to you? Degrees where if there are placements you can commit to these?

One thing to bear in mind is what is asked for in job descriptions and what candidates actually have. So you're saying vasious safeguarding roles don't seem to be asking for a specific post grad qualifications. But actually is this something candidates have?

I think your idea to boost your 2.2 with a further qualification is a good one. Ultimately it sounds like what you need is something to fit around your life so if that's going to make the difference between studying and not I'd say go for the safeguarding qualification.

I wouldn't work in safeguarding if you paid me millions. Just look at the way the safeguarding social workers always get hung out to dry when it fails?

When I worked in homelessness prevention, I had to raise a few safeguardings. Whenever I was mulling over if it was necessary to raise one, I'd ask myself "Do you want to have to explain why you didn't raise it at a serious case review if it all goes wrong?".